The Dragon and the Demon
by LoveLoveLovix
Summary: Powerful priestess Belladonne knows that the Great Dragon wants her to start a revolution by introducing magic to the universe, and with her best friends Lysslis and Tharma, she knows she can. However, between reluctant traditionalists and the evil known as the Shadow Phoenix, it'll be a hard job. Even the youngest high priestess in history can't beat the gods, after all...
1. The Person in the Poison

**The Dragon and the Demon**  
A Winx Club Prequel

_**Part One: In The Beginning**_

_Chapter One: The Person in the Poison_

The wooden doors to the main temple of Light Haven burst open, and Lord Knight Inalden of Magix burst through, clutching a bundle for dear life. Immediately, Saramel ran to him. "Lord Knight!" he cried. "How are you feeling? For Dragon's sake, why were you out in that storm?"

The Lord Knight handed the bundle to his friend and servant. "It was His will, Saramel. He called me to be out there. He called me to the gardens."

"Lord Knight, there are no gardens. It's winter, one of the harshest known. The gardens are all but destroyed... impossible to find, too."

At that, Inalden smiled. "Not where He is concerned, Saramel. Your faith must be broken today. A patch of nightshade grew out of the drifts... and a little girl as well."

As if on cue, the bundle that Saramel hold shivered, and he looked at it for the first time. "A child! A baby child!"

"Yes, Saramel. A true daughter of the dragon, surviving for at least an hour in that storm, with only one blanket to protect her. There was a fire in that snowstorm tonight, and I have brought her in. She will be beautiful and death defying, like the flowers she was found among. Nightshade," he mused. "Belladonna... no, no, much too long. Let's shorten it a little. Belladonne. Her name will be Belladonne of Magix, and she will grow up to be a priestess of the great Dragon that preserved her life."

"But, Lord Knight... who will care for her? She cannot live with the training priestesses, the youngest of them are nine. A baby child has no place at Light Haven."

"Fear not. I will raise her." Inalden took Belladonne from Saramel and held her tenderly.

"B...b..but sir. You are much too old to be her father!"

The Lord Knight frowned. "You are correct. She will call me 'Grandfather' instead."

And that was the end of that.

* * *

"Grandfather, grandfather! Look what I did?"

Inalden, sitting in the best of the gardens, looked to his ward, the three year old Belladonne. In her years at Light Haven, she had become well loved. Those closest to the Dragon said that she was touched by fire, just as the Lord Knight himself had assumed. In fact, he sometimes believed that her connection was so strong, she melted the patch of snow that concealed the flowers she was found in all by herself. He always shook off the thought. That was magic, the word that they used when someone was so connected to the Dragon that part of his power resided in them... and by his reckoning, magic was impossible.

Sweet Belladonne held up an eraseable tablet. She had taken many colors of chalk and scribbled all over it. Her long, straight black hair flopped into her face, covering one of her clear blue eyes, and her little white robe was stained with chalk dust. Inalden felt an overwhelming feeling of love for the girl. Even if he hadn't been commanded by the Dragon to raise her, he felt that he would have. She was a daughter to him. "What did you draw, little one?" he asked.

Belladonne grinned. "It's you, grandfather!" she said, her voice filled with pride.

She handed the tablet to him for closer examination. "Ah, yes," he said, "I see." He really didn't, but nobody could expect a three year old child to be a master artist. "Now, Belladonne, a lesson. An easy one. Who made Grandfather?"

"The Dragon," she answered, smiling. This lesson was a favorite game of hers, and important to her training later. To become a true priestess, her faith would have to be unshakeable.

"And who made you?"

"The Dragon!"

"And who made the colors?"

"The Dragon!"

"And who drew the picture?"

"The Dra... me, silly!" Belladonne fell down in a fit of laughter. She always fell for that. Inalden was starting to suspect that she did it on purpose.

He scooped her up, and she laughed louder, loudly enough that some of the priestesses tending the flowers stopped to stare. They smiled at the sight of the little girl being raised up by the eldest and most important warrior in the monastery. After all, who couldn't? The Dragon had bestowed both with something that they might not have had otherwise- a family.

* * *

"But I don't want to leave our quarters," Belladonne argued.

Inalden pursed his lips. His child was a week from nine years, and soon to live in the training priestess dormitory. Truthfully, he didn't want her to leave either, but it was something that she had to do. "Belladonne, look into your heart. What does the Dragon want? You usually know."

"I know he wants me to be a priestess, grandfather," she said impatiently, "but couldn't I please go to lessons and then come home with you?"

"Belladonne," Inalden said, a stern tone laced through his voice, "you are growing fast. In five years, you will be a woman. The Dragon has created us to grow, and part of growing is living away from those you love. You are luckier than most. You will see me every day, and you will be able to spend every weekend with me. Many of the other training priestesses will have to stay far from their families, as it is much too far to travel. Be grateful for your blessings, and let go of your concerns."

"Yes, grandfather," Belladonne agreed, but she looked far from happy about it.

They packed, all through the week, a little at a time when they could. And soon, it was Belladonne's birthday. With a heavy heart, they walked across Light Haven to the training priestess dormitories, and Inalden kissed his child on the forehead.

"But I don't want to go!"

He looked at Belladonne for a second before realizing it was not her voice. Inalden glanced behind him to see a couple, and a small girl between them. The woman and child were both crying. "I will never see you and mother again!" she said.

The father took his daugher by the shoulders, rougher than Inalden thought necessary. "You have been promised to the Dragon since birth. Your mother and yourself have begged to wait, and it is already three months past your birthday. Today you will go and serve, and that is that."

He unhanded the child, only to push her towards the dormitory. He then turned and walked away, his wife trailing behind unhappily.

Belladonne ran towards the girl, who was crying. Belladonne hugged her until the tears stopped, and then ran a hand through the other's wavy brown hair. "The Dragon has created us to grow, and part of growing is living away from those you love," she said quietly. "I have to do it too, but I'm lucky. My grandfather lives here. Maybe he can be your grandfather, too."

The little girl dried her eyes, and Belladonne took her hand. "My name is Belladonne of Magix," she said. "Who are you?"

"Lysslis of Eraklyon," the little girl whispered, with a sniffle.

Belladonne smiled. "Lysslis is a pretty name," she said. "It's my first day too. We can be best friends because of that."

* * *

"Let's talk about magic," said Priestess Renna

Belladonne was hunched over in her desk, and Lysslis glanced at her. "Pssst, Bella, what's wrong?" she whispered. Belladonne didn't answer.

Priestess Renna stood in front of the chalkboard, looking at each of the ten twelve year old girls training to be priestesses of the Dragon. Lysslis and Belladonne were towards the back, along with one other girl... three others sat in front of them, and four sat in the first row, crowded in. "Who knows what it is?"

Lazily, Belladonne held up her hand. Nobody else did, so although she was always called on- after all, as the only girl raised at Light Haven, she knew most of the lessons and issues that they were supposed to learn about- she was picked. "Magic is the phenomena that occurs when someone's connection to the Dragon is so deep that the person can channel His power."

"And do you believe it possible?" Renna pressed.

Belladonne pondered, and Lysslis wondered if she was going to say 'yes.' Plenty of people did believe in magic, and nobody was really against the idea, but it was thought to be foolish. After all, if the Dragon gave people access to godly powers, wouldn't everyone be a god? Or the Dragon be a human? That was the true scandalous idea, that more than two gods, the Dragon and his dark brother the Shadow Phoenix, existed.

When Belladonne finally spoke, it was with words picked carefully. "I think the Dragon acts in our lives in ways that could be seen as magic. Was it magic that my grandfather knew where to find me in the garden? Is it magic when the candles flicker during worship? Before we talk about magic, we must first define it more thoroughly."

Renna nodded. "Wise beyond your years as always, Belladonne. Alright, I think that is enough for today's religion class. You are free to do as you wish."

Lysslis and Belladonne left together, as always. "That was a pretty speech," Lysslis commented to her best friend of three years.

"It wasn't me. The Dragon told me to say it. And in a way... I think it was a lie."

They turned into one of the gardens, this one being particularly overgrown and abandoned for unknown reasons. It had quickly become the girls' secret spot. "What do you mean, Bella?" Lysslis asked.

"I mean, magic exists. But the world isn't ready for it. The Dragon told me so. He gives me magic, sometimes... just to show me. But I'm not going to get it forever until I am the high priestess."

Lysslis's jaw dropped. "The high priestess? But that'll take forever!"

"No, no, it won't." Belladonne ran her fingers through her friend's hair, just as she did when they first met. "It will be when I am still a young woman... and you will be my healer, helping me. Maybe someone else, too. Three people... that would be nice. Balanced. What do you think, Lissa?"

"I think magic doesn't exist."

Belladonne smiled. Lysslis had learned early on that it was nearly impossible to make her unhappy or excited. The effects of living in a monastery all her life, most likely. Her hands up, palms outreached in the prayer position, she said, "Dragon, grant me proof to teach a faith in you unlike any before. Grant me fire in your name."

With a wave of her hands, a ball of fire appeared, floating in front of them. It was warm, but did not grow or burn. Lysslis's eyes widened.

Suddenly, it disappeared, and Belladonne sighed. "He won't let me keep it for long. Someday, though. It will change the universe, Lissa. Please be there for me."

Lysslis swallowed hard, then agreed.

* * *

Author's Note: Welcome to my Winx prequel. As you may have noticed, it tells the story of how magic came to be, how Belladonne, Lysslis, and Tharma became the Ancestresses, the origin of fairies and witches... it's pretty much all my beforeWinx!headcanons placed in story form. I hope you like it, and if you do, please review- reviews are what keep me going and updating.

Also the chapters of this story might be shorter than my chapters of Fly or Fall, so if you read that, don't be surprised.

This story is based off my Official Winxverse Timeline, the collection of canon and headcanon that I use in the majority of my work, including Legacy of Light, You Were My Best Friend, Give and Take, and Blood Magic. If you wanna spoil yourself on what happens, you can find it at winxverse dot wikia dot com. :) But I swear reading it this way will be more fun.


	2. The Venom in the Vessel

_Chapter Two: The Venom in the Vessel_

Forty years before Belladonne was found in the Light Haven gardens, there was another celebrated child, a male. He was the child of Lord Phobos and Lady Isla Darkar of Isis, the second family after royalty. He was a child of miracles, for many had told the Lady that she was sterile and would not bear children.

Isla cradled her son, Argulus. "Is he not perfect? The ideal of human health and appearance."

"Takes after his father," Phobos said.

"I think I see my mother's eyes."

"No, he doesn't look anything like your side. His eyes are too clear, not muddy and such."

"But his face shape..."

"Not squished and fat, like your father's is."

"I would have sworn that his nose..."

"...was noble and proud, like my dear grandfather's? Correct. This boy will be great."

Isla held Argulus out to Phobos. "As he is such the perfect creature, true descendent of your family, wouldn't you hold him?"

Phobos snorted. "Me, hold him? Dear woman, that is a job of females! I have manly things to do. Controlling the estate, lording over the peasants..."

He left the room, and Isla rolled his eyes. "He's off to play games with the other lords, no doubt. Argulus, never get married."

Argulus never got married.

He never wanted to. The truth was, he really did take more after his mother. He had scruffy brown hair, and eyes that were a cloudy grey-blue and needed glasses to see a thing. However, his personality made him just like Phobos. He did what he wanted, with no respect for his responsibilities. Eventually, he was thirty, and he had his favorite servant take over the duties of the lordship as he went adventuring.

He had money enough to see the entire universe. He had his youth still, and the spirit to find new worlds and new friends. He hired a ship to take him from planet to planet, and within a year, he had seen the wonders of Domino, Antar, Solaria, and Callisto. His trip next brought him to the realm of Magix, an unremarkable farming planet, save for one thing. That thing was the incredible Light Haven Monastery, a co-ed religious colony dedicated to spreading peace, training young students, rehabilitating convicts, and worship of the Great Dragon.

He stayed at the wondrous convent for a week before finding it stuffier and more draining than his life as a lord of Isis, and left abruptly. His ship did not sail for another week, so he spent days wandering around the shops and villages of Magix, and one night, he found himself stuck between towns when a great rain started. A nearby cave offered shelter, and Argulus took it gladly.

The cave was dry and open and beautiful, well worth exploring. With only a single gas lamp to guide the way, he went deeper and deeper into the cave. Before long, the cave opened into a locked realm, to Argulus's delight. Locked realms, which could not be linked by portals, but only found by going through another places, were rare and hard to find. This one could double his fortune... and maybe even make him royalty, which did not seem nearly as stuffy and boring as lordship did.

As he walked into the realm now known as Shadowhaunt, a man as elegant and classy as any Argulus had ever seen met him. "Hello, sir," he said. "We have been waiting for you."

Argulus felt a flash of pride. They had heard of him, the great traveler, and had prepared their wonders for him. What an honor. He followed the man, obviously a servant, who revealed himself to be Kerbog Karborg, right hand of a great lord just like Argulus himself. He led Argulus to a mysterious castle, and then to a lovely throne room, where he bid Argulus to take the best seat while he fetched his master.

It took quite a while, and Argulus began to grow impatient. Finally, he started to stand, only to find himself pushed down by an invisible force. "What is this?" he said in surprise.

Suddenly, the mysterious castle did not seem so welcoming. Argulus could hear swarms of bats, and soon he saw one, followed by a silver and glowing bird. In a puff of mist, the bat transformed into Kerbog. "Servant!" Argulus cried. "I demand that your master release me!"

Kerbog smiled. "Of course, Lord Darkar. As soon as we can spare you."

The silver phoenix flew up to Argulus and perched on his head. "And get this damned bird off me, Karbog! Where is this great lord of yours? Is this how guests are treated?"

"Lord, you misunderstand. That is my master, and you are no guest."

Argulus began to feel odd, off. He tried to lift his hand to brush the bird away, but found he could not even do that. His weariness seemed to get the better of him, and he drifted to sleep...

Kerbog smiled once again. "My lord, how do you feel?"

Lord Argulus Darkar rose, but he was not the same. He flexed his hands. "Better, Kerbog. But vulnerable, very vulnerable. Fetch me some good armor. I'm thinking something in blood red."

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, this was short, but hey, it's an update. XD


	3. The Lady in Light Haven

_Chapter Three: The Lady in Light Haven_

"Lysslis has studied hard and well, and grown into a fine young woman, even after her parents abandoned her at age nine."

_They didn't abandon me!_ the fifteen year old woman thought._ They promised me away to the Dragon. Even if it plays the same way, at least I can understand that. _

Her protests had never worked before, however, so she didn't voice them this time. The fact of the matter was that even the poorest of girls studying here, whose parents sent them away so that they could eat well and have a chance at life, still got visits from their parents, if only once a year. Lysslis hadn't seen her mother or father since they left her at Light Haven. She didn't even remember what they looked like.

Now it was the ceremony that would make her a real priestess, and her parents didn't even come for that. At least Grandfather Lord Knight sat nearby, there to support not only his adopted daughter, but "darling Lissa" as well.

"Lysslis has a gift for healing... it is almost magical, her connection to life and therefore, the Dragon, being so strong."

Lysslis disagreed. She wasn't that connected to the Dragon. Bella was. Lissa just knew what herbs did what, the healing books being something she had pored over for much longer than her healing course demanded.

"We bestow upon her the black robe of healing. Lysslis, carry the Dragon in your heart, and compassion in your hands. Welcome to the priestesshood." Renna slipped the black robe over Lysslis's head, and the young woman poked her arms through the proper places. She bet the robe was comfy... if only she could take the scratchy trainer robe off right now and feel the softer priestess robe over her bare skin.

Lysslis stepped down from the altar, and Belladonne, last in the class to graduate, stepped up. She wasn't nervous. She really never was. She had the Dragon on her side, after all.

She had no thoughts other than the ceremony, a simple thing where the teaching priestesses talked about what made the graduates special, and then bestowed them with the colored robes that matched their specialty and status within the convent. White for students, pink for guests, and cream for criminals... nobody would be getting those robes today. Purple for the mediators who traveled to resolve kingdom problems, blue for guards. Yellow for missionaries. Green for gardeners, black for healers, and brown for scholars. Grey robes marked a teacher, while orange were for those who did nothing but worship and try to reach the Dragon. Above all, the coveted color of red, which Belladonne's precious Grandfather wore. Red was the color of the Dragon. Red was the color of a leader.

Renna smiled down at Belladonne. "Ah, Belladonne, daughter of fire. The one time I have seen true life emerge from a patch of poison. Unlike the other women here, we have had fifteen years of you instead of just six, so maybe I know you better. Certainly I know you enough to know that your faith is strong." She turned to the crowd. "Since birth, Belladonne had been special. She has an unheard of connection to the Great Dragon, and even the most sacred element, fire. She is the most vocal during her lessons, and always willing to help others. Truly, her quirks are overshadowed by her love and faith."

_Quirks like believing in magic, I suppose_, Belladonne thought, _well, I cannot blame them for finding it weird._

"It is with this in mind that we bestow upon her the red robe of leadership. Belladonne will continue to train for another five years, at which time she will take over the mantle of High Priestess from our beloved Naria."

The small audience to the ceremony seemed confused. Naria was old, but she was immortalica, one born immortal and invulnerable by nature. They said that she had been the High Priestess since the Dragon breathed mortal and immortal life alike into the universe.

"I see there is confusion among us," Renna said, "and I will lift it. Naria would like to retire to the place of her birth, Graynor, and look after the last of the Rainbow Mantle creatures. From missionaries, we hear that Graynor is almost completely destroyed, so Naria intends to go and help, as well as to mission to the people there. She will soon take up the yellow robes, so we must prepare for new leadership."

The murmurs subsided, and Renna continued. "Belladonne, carry the Dragon in your heart, and knowledge in your head. Welcome to the priestesshood." And with that, a silky red robe was slipped over Belladonne, and she officially became the high priestess in training.

_

"Priestess Belladonne?"

Sixteen year old Belladonne looked up. She had been training as high priestess for over a year, and it was rough on her. Naria had a lot to teach, and rarely was there time to sneak off to see Lysslis... which was exactly what she had been doing. "Saramel," she said to the man who addressed her. "What is it?"

He stepped aside, and a petite woman with pink guest robes and mounds of curly red hair that clashed badly with it appeared. Freckles dotted her entire face and neck. Belladonne liked her immediately. "Who is this, Saramel?"

The woman answered. "I am Tharma of Domino. I'm a scholar of many things, and I have come to study the way that the priests and priestesses lived here at Light Haven. Saramel said that you were one to talk to. You are the high priestess? Your robes show."

Belladonne blushed. "I am training still. Naria will not hand leadership over to me until I am twenty."

"But she does most of the high priestess work already," Saramel interjected. "She has been a joy to this monastery since she was a babe, and knows all there is to know about the workings."

That was untrue. Naria knew mounds of things that Belladonne had to learn. The raven haired woman was far from the omniscient being that Saramel seemed to think.

"Saramel, where is Scholar Tharma staying?" Belladonne asked.

The man furrowed his brow. "Um... I assumed in the priestess dorms."

"She is not a priestess. It would not be allowed. I suppose you haven't prepared one of the guest suites?" Without waiting for an answer, Belladonne beckoned to Tharma. "Come. You will be in my care now."

Tharma looked a little confused, and Saramel looked relieved. "Thank you, Priestess Belladonne," he said as he scuttled away.

Belladonne smiled. "I'm sorry for the oversight, Scholar Tharma."

"Tharma is fine," the redheaded woman said automatically. "No need for titles."

"Then please, call me Belladonne. I am happy to help you settle in here, but do you mind if I stop at one of the gardens first? My friend Lysslis was to meet me there."

"That's great," said Tharma. "I would like to meet more people here anyway. This is the first time I've studied away from home."

"I never realized a scholar could stay at home," Belladonne said. "I mean, apart from me. As Saramel said, I was raised here. But don't most scholars go away at a young age?"

"I'm a scholar myself, and child of scholars. My father tutors the royal family of Domino, so I grew up in the castle, studying with the prince and the two elder princesses. There was no place for me at the castle when I became a woman, however, and I am not yet married, so I decided to set out for myself and learn more before settling down with a job and a husband."

"You're brave," Belladonne said, a bit of admiration in her voice. She couldn't imagine ever leaving the monastery, with no place to go. To have to leave seemed even more odd. How awful must it feel to be told that there was no place for you? "You have my blessing to stay for as long as you wish. It may not mean much, but..."

"It means a lot," said Tharma with a smile. "Thank you, Belladonne."

They got to the abandoned garden, which barely looked abandoned anymore. Though Lysslis was not a garden priestess, her talents and assignments as healer made her adept enough with plants to heal the small space. The curvy woman waited among the wildflowers and tall grass, a book on her lap. The glasses that she had been forced to acquire in the last year perched on the edge of her nose, and her wavy brown hair concealed her ears, flowing midway down her back. She was so absorbed that she did not see her friend come in. "Lissa!" Belladonne said. "Lissa!"

Lysslis looked up in surprise. "Belladonne, you're free already? And... who is this?"

"I am Tharma, Priestess, a scholar of Domino." The redhead bowed respectfully. "It's very good to know you."

"And you as well. I am Priestess Lysslis, a healer here. How long do you plan to stay?"

"As long as she wishes to," Belladonne answered. "She is here to study the priestesses and priests and our way of life. As we know, it is a lot to take in. We spent six years learning it after all!"

Lysslis laughed. "I do hope you stay for awhile, Scholar Tharma."

"Tharma is fine, please."

"Alright then. There aren't many people I see often around our age, and your work will give you an excuse to come visit me in the healing rooms as often as you'd like, so I do hope we can be great friends!"

"I'd like that as well," Tharma responded. Belladonne beamed. She did already consider the casual, exotic, and friendly scholar as a friend, though they had met only minutes before. Though in the case of Bella and Lissa, those few moments had been all it took- maybe that bond, so quick and so strong, would happen again.

_

It did.

Within a month, Light Haven no longer said, "Belladonne and Lysslis," but "Belladonne, Lysslis, and Tharma." It had a ring to it, a sort of rhythm that made it feel right. And none could argue that the friendship was folly. The three girls acted as each others' checks and balances. Belladonne was the leader and caretaker; Lysslis was serious and sturdy; Tharma was bubbly, energetic, and exotic enough to bring new life to the old friendship of the two before her. Though work and duty would commonly keep them apart, they shined the brightest together, enough that the whole monastery could see.

Inalden, though old, occupied by duties, and convinced that the best way to encourage Belladonne's newfound independence and adulthood was to not interfere in her life, loved to look at the three girls when they would gather. The Dragon, he could tell, had great plans in store for them. Great plans indeed.


	4. The Tykes in the Tower

_Chapter Four: The Tykes in the Tower_

When Belladonne was seven, yet another child was born, a high princess of the world known as Domino. And although she was the fifth child of the current rulers, she would grow to be queen. Nobody knew this yet. Unlike with Belladonne, the fate that the Great Dragon had in store for this baby was secret, unnoticeable.

And thus, the youngest princess in the family was raised in a manner more fitting a noblewoman than a royal. She was not trained in politics or language. Someday she would learn reading and writing and arithmetic, but none was necessary. As far as the world knew, Arcadia de Graaf, the fire princess of Domino, was going to live a responsibility-free life of comfort, and likely married off to one of the men from the lesser royal families.

When Prince Ogron Marak, the water prince of Domino, was born, it was obvious which one. As soon as Ogron could toddle, he was Arcadia's partner in crime. She constantly requested his companionship, as he followed her orders perfectly and without complaint. She did have many servants for that, but they would invariably tell her parents about her favorite hiding places and schemes. She couldn't have that.

So she made Ogron follow her, and neither was unhappy about it. Arcadia revelled in being someone's elder, and Ogron loved the attention that 'Cadia showered upon him. The adults called them adorable, and the other children let them alone, for their bond was beyond comprehension. A missionary from Light Haven speculated that the children might be soulmates.

He also speculated about the good that monastery schooling might do for the young princess. Would breaking up the pair, fated for each other, be worth the serenity, education, and poise that Light Haven would give her? To truly graduate, a girl must give her vows to the Dragon, keeping her from marriage. Of course, Arcadia was free to study there without graduating, but was that something her parents wanted? They had a year to think about it. The princess was eight.

The decision seemed rough. Finally, the king and queen did what all did in the moments of great decisions- they decided to pray over it. For the royal family, however, prayer did not seem enough. They packed Arcadia's bags a month from her ninth birthday and took the girl to Light Haven with the intent of seeing what schooling was like, praying heavily in the many temples there, and leaving their youngest daughter if it seemed to be His will.

Arcadia loved it. She loved the trees and endless fields and valleys. She adored the gardens that added color to the monastery. She sat in with the nine year olds and became friends with some of them, and she learned much. Of course, part of her heart yearned for Ogron, but she could come back to him in a few years, when she was fifteen and he was ten, and all would be as it should. She would not graduate, true, but that thought was hardly important to her eight year old mind.

With a smile and the promise of writing to her parents, she stayed in Light Haven. Even though it felt just a little tiny bit wrong, and even though no amount of school, friends, or gardens could, or ever did, replace the hole that tiny four year old Ogron left when Arcadia decided to go away to school.

* * *

Author's Note: Another super short update, but important to get all five mains to where they need to be for the story!


	5. The Magic in the Maiden

_Chapter Five: The Magic in the Maiden_

Naria held out a candle to her trainee, and Belladonne took it with both hands. She drew a circle in midair with it, then set it down and lit it. Carefully, as not to flip up her robes, she sunk into a kneeling position on the floor, and began to sing.

_"Life as bright as fire be, breathe the slightest breath on me.  
__Sustain my need, curb my desire; I worship you, my god of fire.  
__Your grace upon this place present, it helps me learn and represent.  
__I speak to you so meek and mild, Dragon, creator, I am a child.  
__My Dragon is breath, my Dragon is mirth, my Dragon is beauty and blessing and birth.  
__Dear Dragon, bright as fire be, please breathe your slightest breath on me."_

That song was not something that Naria had taught Belladonne; nor was it something the Dragon gifted to her. The lyrics were something she had mostly crafted herself. And the music? That was from the lullaby that her grandfather sung to her when she was little.

_Sun as bright as fire be, now you slip away from me._  
_Away, day's need, greed, and desire; night has fallen, and I tire.  
__It's night upon the world present; a blessed night the Dragon sent.  
__I speak to Him so meek and mild; beseeching, Dragon, protect this child.  
__The night is good, the night is dark, so every last lemming and lion and lark.  
__Will slumber through this night so deep. Belladonne, dear, go now to sleep._

Naria nodded as Belladonne rose. "A song as your offering to the Dragon. Truly inspired, my sister, truly inspired. Too many bring candles and food for him. Rarely is something so personal."

Belladonne didn't reply. She was still in the moment, in the midst of worship. She closed her eyes, a light smile playing on her face, and sunk into a light and spontaneous meditation. Naria noticed immediately and joined her.

All was quiet inside the main temple, the first room of Light Haven that Belladonne had ever been in, and the place where she now trained. Silence reigned, except for the breathing of the two powerful women in the room and the slight crackle of the fires lit around.

"Naria, I've never asked this of you... but do you believe in magic?"

Naria opened one eye. Belladonne, despite the question, still looked to be at peace. "I believe in the Dragon," she replied. "Everything else is beyond me."

"But you're so..."

"Old?" Naria laughed and closed her eyes again. "Yes. My spirit is ancestral. I am practically a part of nature! But_ immortalica_ or mortal, old or young, none knows all. I don't think even the great Dragon can know all, though he certainly knows most and controls it too. I am certain he knows all about magic, and I am certain that he would tell us if he wanted us to know for certain about it."

"He told me!"

Naria's eyes opened and she looked over at her pupil. Belladonne's face was set in a defiant look, and her hands were clenched nervously. Naria chuckled. "I thought he might have. Your interest in it is more than a child's curiosity. And your connection to him transcends explanation. What has he told you, dear?"

Belladonne looked shocked for a moment... it was no wonder. She had never expected anyone besides Lissa to listen, to believe. She still hadn't found out how to tell Tharma. Then, she slowly unclenched her hands and took a breath. "He told me that I will bring it to the world. Or rather, I will unlock it. Everyone has the magic in their hearts, but I'll be the first one to harness it. And then, when I have learned to use it properly, I will teach the world. The great Dragon meant his great creation to be magical."

"Can you do magic already?"

"A little." The training priestess looked down modestly. "I play with fire, sometimes," she admitted.

"Show me."

Belladonne bit her lip. "I... I don't know if I..."

"Try, dear."

The young woman closed her eyes. "_Flickering floral flare-ups, freshly floating flames_," she muttered, barely audible. She repeated the alliterative chant, growing louder and louder as the many candles that lit the room started spinning around. The flames seemed to leave designs of fire in the air briefly, little blooms and blossoms. They grew in intensity as Belladonne relaxed, and stopped abruptly when she discontinued her chant.

Naria took a deep breath. "I see. What was that you were chanting?"

"Just some words. I find that if I am reciting or singing something, especially to a beat, I'm able to control the fire better."

"Can you only control fire?"

"So far."

"What happens when you try silently?"

"Usually, things end up _catching_ on fire. Not always, though."

"Mmmm." Naria sat down. "I wasn't expecting it to be that..."

_Powerful? Present? Amazing?_

"... that real. Sometimes the Dragon isn't always clear- sometimes when he says apples, he means oranges. But you, Belladonne, you really are the one who will bring magic to the universe. I never thought I'd see the day, and I promise that there are a lot of days I expect to see."

* * *

Tharma woke up with a pain in her heart, literally and figuratively. She sat up and ran a freckled hand through mounds of wild red hair, plowing it back so it hung away from her eyes. She continued to get up, standing and slipping her feet into her favorite slippers, and using a piece of twine to tie back her hair before she let her pink robe fall onto her naked body. Properly dressed, she stepped from her room into the hallway.

She walked out of the building, a determined spring in her step, and to the main temple. In her five months at Light Haven, she had memorized the schedule- she knew that was where the person she needed to see was. As she walked, she tried to steady her breath. What she was about to do was not something to take lightly, but she'd known for months that she had to do it, and her dream told her that she had to do it soon. "Doesn't ever get sooner than today," she whispered to herself. That was something her father had always told her and his students when they tried to procrastinate on their lessons...

She found herself in front of the main temple, and pushed open the heavy door. Sure enough, kneeling in front of the altar was Lord Knight Inalden. He was in the middle of praying, so Tharma sat in the center of the large room, far enough away not to disturb him, and close enough that he would realize another person was there. She waited quietly and somewhat nervously.

After many moments, the Lord Knight rose and walked to her, and Tharma got up in return. "Scholar!" he exclaimed, his voice familiar and wonderful. "What a nice surprise! Is this visit to the temple business, pleasure, or sheer coincidence?"

"Business, Lord Knight," Tharma replied, lowering her head respectfully. "I had a dream last night, and though I believe I know what it means... I'd like a little help, just to make sure I'm on the right path."

"Of course! Sit, sit, and tell me what you saw."

Tharma obliged and sighed. "I can't remember all the details, but I was here, in the main temple, with Bella and Lissa. It was different, though, the walls lined with all manners of bookshelves, full to the brim with books. Bella and Lissa went to pray, as if they didn't notice the change, but I went for the books- naturally," she added, with a little impish grin. "When I opened them, whichever I opened, all that was inside was a mirror. No, mirrored pages... the pages were all mirrors themselves. I checked several volumes, but it remained the same. I had maybe the third book in my hand when a gust of wind blew it down and the book shattered. And then I woke up."

Inalden frowned as he thought. "I feel like this represents a change. May I ask what you think it means, my dear?"

"I think I'm not supposed to be a scholar. No, that's not it. I'll always be a scholar. I just think I'm supposed to be a scholar priestess. My former self, the observer, shattered. I should be with my friends, praying, but that doesn't mean I have to leave books and knowledge behind." Tharma said the words slowly, unsurely, though she finished strong, as if confident in the last part.

"Is this what you truly think?"

"Yes," she replied, a bit more confidently. "I just... how will I train? I'm not nine like the other beginning priestesses."

"You certainly are not. You are no child, Tharma, but a grown woman." Inalden pondered. "As you have the knowledge of scholars, but are lacking in religious and schedule training, you will likely have less classes. And I'm sure we can house you in the adult priestess dormitories, even as you train. Belladonne and darling Lissa can likely take a third."

"Truly? That would be wonderful!"

The Lord Knight looked carefully at the redheaded girl's face. Something still seemed to be bothering her. "Do you have any more burdens, issues? Anything I can help you with?"

"It's just... I don't know how my family will take this," Tharma said. "They do believe in Him, but they aren't very religious. I think they believe the Dragon is a more hands-off sort of god, and that praying and catering to him is the job of fools."_ I don't think that,_ she thought._ I know that. Father told me so._ "And I'm lonely here, even with Bella and Lissa. I doubt I could take their disappointment."

"You will have to tell them someday," Inalden warned.

"I know that."

"But when that day comes, and before, know that as you are a sister to my daughter, you are a daughter to me. If you are ever in need of guidance or assistance, I am willing to provide it."

"Lord Knight..."

Inalden stopped her with a hand held up. "Lissa calls me Grandfather Lord Knight. If it is not too lengthy, you might prefer that yourself."

Tharma absolutely beamed. "Thank you, Grandfather Lord Knight."


End file.
